It's T.E.E Time!

Today, I had a Trans Esophacal Echocardiogram (or T.E.E.).

Now, that was the most PLEASANT experience of my entire life - it was like entering Valhala. I wish I could DO IT AGAIN.

- - NOT! - - (With a capital N-O-T and double emphasis)

I'll back up a bit.

Yesterday, I got a call from the doc wanting to do a Trans Esophacal Echocardiogram on Monday. Since this entire heart thing needs to be expedited, I agreed. There was suspicion that there was damage to the aorta, and the T.E.E. was necessary to show the surgeon what special prep would be needed for the surgery.

So, long story short, I went to the heart hospital today and got-r-done.

And I'm telling you with no exaggeration that it was the most HORRENDOUS procedure I've ever had - not that I've had a lot of procedures, but this was the absolute worse.

I just got back from the hospital still feeling groggy and I'm not ashamed to say I still feel like crying like a little girl.

But, God bless America and the heart hospital and all the nurses and staff. My reaction to the procedure is not their fault - it's not their fault that they had to call in Nurse Burley and her big sister to hold me down, and give me a triple dose of the esophagus numbing medicine (which didn't work by the way). I was fully awake for the whole procedure in spite of the fact that they gave me the required "knock-out" injection. At one point I even involuntarity grabbed the doc, for which I am truly sorry.

But, the doc got the needed images, and now has all the information needed for the surgery, which I swear has GOT to be easier than what I just went through.

From the T.E.E. images, it doesn't look as bad as originally thought. The valve looks a mess, and the aorta looks bad, but not as bad as thought last week. Looks like the heart surgery will be a straight-forward type of operation with no surprises.

And I'm ready to get through with all this. I just hope that on the day of the operation everyone will have had a good night's rest with pleasant dreams, and a good day. It's important for everyone involved to have a good day. I want everyone to be in a good mood when they open me up.

I hope I don't sound too pessimistic. These are just the first words that fall out of my head. I trust in the one true God, and I trust the physicians and nurses and surgeons. I trust that all the preliminary procedures give the right info. And though I may not be looking forward to this surgery, I'm not really dreading it either. I'm looking forward to feeling better. And I'm looking forward to spending some quality time with the wife during recovery.

[Note from Nana Pam: Did he just say "quality time" . . . WITH ME . . . "during recovery"?! Five weeks of "RECOVERY"?! Someone kill me now . . . or at least give me heavy sedation.]